Transfer print and method of making the same



1,627,407 May 1927' T. s. REE'sE TRANSFER PRINT AND METHOD OF MAKING THESAME Filed Jam-18, 1924 r/ M COATING famas 5 39856 QZZ077 L eya PatentedMay 3, 1927.

"UNITED STATES PATENT orrrcs.

ruorms s. REESE, or CLEVELAND, onto, assrenon To run m-noc manouoru'm amo commmr, or cnnvnmnn, omo, A coaronarron or onro.

Application filed January 18, 1924. Serial No. 687,016.

This invention relates to transfer prints and the method of making thesame, the invention having been developed particularly with a view toproviding transfer prints in a permanent form in which the printedmatwhich printed matter has been transferred from specially preparedpaper to glass and other surfaces. that various coatings have beenemployed to receive the printed matter and that in some instances thetransferred printed matter has been on a film originally 0 carried bythe paper.

However. all prior processes of which I am aware have certain inherentdisadvantages which greatly limit their utility. For example, -priorprocesses for the transfer of photolithographic prints have had serlousdefects for the reason that the coatings upon which the printing wasdone were either of such a nature as to cause the ink to bleed or pick,and it has been extremely difficult to obtain a perfect register causingthe lines to be indistinct and blurred, or the transfer film has been ofsuch nature as to grease the stones so that the stone would not receivethe ink properly, causing the print to be blurred and causing ink toadhere to portions of the stone outside the design. WVith the transferprints as heretofore made by the decalcomania process, the transfer ofthe sign to a glass or other surface is a very delicate operation andcan be carried out with uniform success only by a skilled workman forthe reason that the inked portion only is transferred and the ink filmso transferred is extremely fragile, liable to be broken by any slightslipping movement along the surface to which it is being applied.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a process by meansof which perfect photolithographic prints or other printing can be madeon the transfer sheet.

'A further object is to provide composite transfer prints which may bemanufactured in large quantities, and be shipped and stored prior to useand adapted to form a sign of superior durability.

A further object of the invention is to provide a transfer print inwhich the desi n or printed matter is embedded in a thm tough film whichis not liable to be damaged in the transfer operation since it can bestraightened out or shifted on the surface to which it is being appliedwithout damage thereto, and which does not require special skill toapply, and as illustrated on the accompanying drawing.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description.

The drawing shows a diagrammatic representation of the arrangement ofthe various parts composing the transfer print and 1n which the partsare designated by selfexplanatory legends.

A transfer print made in accordance with the present invention consistsof a backing sheet preferably of absorbent paper, a film containing theprint secured by a suitable adhesive which is soluble in watertothepaper and a coating of adhesive material on the outer side of the filmwhich is suitable for firmly securing the film to the glass or othersurface to which the film is to be transferred. The film is of amaterial which is insoluble in water, which will remain flexible foralong time after it is applied to the paper and which is adapted toreceive photolithographic prints as well as other printed matter, thefilm being so treated in the process of manufacture, as will hereinafterhe described, as to be thoroughly impregnated with the ink so that whenthe film is transferred from the paper backing to the glass or othersurface, the surface can be washed without causing the ink to beseparated from the film and without otherwise damaging the sign.

The present invention has been designed primarily to provide transfersheets carry ing advertising matter which can be ship ed and stored andin which the ink of the printed advertising matter is impregnated in arelatively tough transparent film which can.

be readily transferred to a window anyone without danger of damaging thesign in the transfer.

To transfer the ink impregnated film to a pane by pane of glass, it issimply necessary to wet the glass and press the film side of thetransfer sheet against the glass taking care to squeeze out any airbubbles. lhe water on the glass moistens the adhesive on the face of thefilm so that when the adhesive dries the film is held firmly in place.After the transfer sheet has been applied to the glass as abovedescribed, the paper backing is removed by applying water thereto andpeeling off. the water acting upon the solule adhesive permitting thepaper backing to be readily removed.

In preparing the transfer sheets. paper is first coated .on one sidewith one or more coats of water soluble gum as in the ordinarydecalcomania process. ,This, however, is not essential to applicantsprocess since if preferred, decalcomania paper or suitable gum papersuitable for my process can be purchased already prepared.

The gummed side of the paper is then' coated with a relatively slowdrying solution of a cellulose ester either alone or in combination withone or other substances such as resins, gelatin. rubber or similarmaterial. Soluble nitrocellulose has been found to give verysatisfactory results and is preferable because it is more readilyobtainable than other suitable cellulose ester and is comparativelyinexpensive. However, cellulose acetate, formats or other suitablesoluble cellulose ester either alone or in combination with resins,rubber, gelatin, casein and other similar substances may be used. Forexample I have found that the following solution gives very excellentresults:

8 oz. of soluble cotton dissolved in a liquid mixture containing:

4 gallon of ethyl acetate, 4 gallon of butyl or amyl acetate, gallon ofbenzol 90%, gallon of #1 formula ethyl alcohol, 6 ounces castor oil.

This coating when dried forms a thin flexible transparent film whichdoes not distort the paper upon drying.

This film forms'a surface suitable for any printing or reproductionprocess, for example, photolithographic as well as the ordinary printingmethods, and does not cause the ink to pick i. e. adhere unevenly, sothat any printing method most suitable for the character or workrequired may be employed.

Paper prepared as above described can be stored without deteriorizationto provide stock for printing.

The ink transferred to thesurface of the film in printing adheres to thesurface thereof and, if not further treated, would tend to pull awayfrom the film in the subsequent transfer operations. To avoid thisdifliculty I treat the printed surface of the sheet with a liquid whichis a mutual solvent both for the carrier of the ink pigment and ofanswer the material of the film beneath so that the pigment of the inkbecomes thoroughly impregnated in the film and will not run or smear inthe subsequent transfer operations. Various solvents may be employed forthis purpose but I have found that a cellulose nitrate solution similarto the solution used in making the fihn gives the best results, such asolution dissolves the surface of the film and the carrier for the inkpigment and causes the two coatings and ink pigment to be amalgamatedinto a single compozite film without running or bleeding the ink. Theouter coating is preferably but not necessarily formed by a solutionsimilar to the first. All that is necessary is that the two solutions besuch that the two coatings will become thoroughly amalgamated. Bothcoatings may be transparent or colored and translucent or one of thecoatings may be opaque depending upon the effect sought to be obtained.The second coating, while similar to the first, preferably contains ahigher percentage of high boiling solvent which causes the solution todry more slowly than u the first solution so that the solvent thereincan act through the film of pigment upon the body of the underlyingfilm, causing the material of the film to be integrally united throughthe printed film as well as in the unprinted spaces.

While as above pointed out, many compositions may be used for the secondcoating, I am giving the following as a compo sition which has provenvery satisfactory in use and which will not bleed or run the ink ordistort the design:

2 ounces of soluble cotton dissolved in a mixture containing gallon ofbutyl or amyl acetate, gallon of 90% benzol, gallon of #1 formula ethylalcohol, 2 ounces of castor oil.

While I consider the addition of a second coating to the film to bepreferable. it is nevertheless within the scope of my invention tosimply apply a volatile solvent to the printed'snrface which willdissolve the surface of the film and the carrier for the ink pigmentcausing the ink pigment to permeate the film beneath it. so that whenthe film becomes dried the ink is incorporated therein.

After the ink impregnated film has thoroughly dried the exposed surfacethereof is coated with a suitable adhesive which when moistened willcause the film to adhere firmly to the surface to which it is to beapplied and which when set is insoluble in water so that the film cannotbe washed ofi.

Transfer sheets manufactured as above described can be manufactured inlarge quantities and can be stored for long periods of time and for useat the convenience of the purchaser.

When employed for transparent window said signs for advertising puroses, the thin film does not in any way interfere with the washing ofthe windows since the film cannot be washed off and the ink which isimpregnated in the film is not disturbed. It is not only much easier totransfer the films of transfer prints made in accordance with thisinvention than to transfer the signs heretofore formed bythedecalcomania process, but the signs themselves are superior since the si11 will not dog ear or break off around the e ges as in the priordecalcomania and treated paper signs. The sign will last indefinitelyand may be removed by scraping or by a suitable solvent.

aving described my invention, I claim 1. A transfer print comprising abacking sheet having a coating forming film thereon which is insolublein water, said film carrying a design formed by pigments permanentlyimpre ated in the body of the film. 2. A trans erprint comprising abacking sheet, and a film secured thereto by a water soluble adhesive,said film being insoluble in water and carrying printed matter, thepigments of the ink being permanently 1mpregnated in the body of thefilm.

3. A transfer rint comprisinga backing sheet having a film thereonformed from a dryin solution of a. soluble cellulose ester,

film carrying a design formed by pigments impregnated in the body of thefilm.

4. A transfer rint comprising a backing sheet having a hn thereon formedfrom a rying solution of soluble cellulose nitrate, said film carrying adesign formed by pigments impregnated in the body of the hlm.

5. A composite transfer print comprising a sheet of paper. havingthereon a. layer of water soluble adhesive, a film of material insolublein water and containing printed matter composed of igments impregnatedin the body of the 1m interiorly thereof, said sheet and film beingsecured together b the adhesive, and a layer of adhesive on tli esurface of the film.

6. The herein described method of making a transfer print whichcomprises coating 11 acking sheet with awater soluble adhesive andapplying to the coated surface a solution which upon drying forms aflexible film insoluble in water. printing upon said film and treatingthe film and rinted matter with a mutual solvent for t 1e substance ofthe film and the carrier for the ink pigments to cause the ink pigmentsto become impregnated in the body of the film.

7. The herein described method of making a transfer print whichcomprises coatin" a blacking sheet with a water soluble ad hesive andapplying to the coated surface a (solution which upon drying forms aflexible and the carrier for the ink pigments to cause 1 the inkpigments to become impregnated in the film and additional coating andwhich upon drying becomes 'an integral part of the film.

8. The herein described method of making a transfer print whichcomprises coating a backing sheet with a Water soluble adhesive andapplying-to the coated surface a solution of a cellulose ester whichupon drying forms a flexible film insoluble in water, printing upon saidfilm, and treat-- ing the film and printed matter with a mutual solventfor the material of the film and carrier for the ink pigment to causethe pigment of the ink to permeate the film.

9. The herein described method of making a transfer print whichcomprises coating a backing sheet with a water soluble adhesive andapplyin to the coated surface a solution of a cellu oseester which upondrying forms a flexible film insoluble in water, printing upon saidfilm, and applying a second coating of a relatively slow drying solutionof a cellulose ester.

10. The herein described method of making a transfer print whichcomprises coatting abackingsheet with a water soluble adhesive andapplying to the coated surface a solution of a cellulose derivativewhich upon drying forms a flexible film insoluble in water, treating thefilm with the printed matter thereon with a mutual solvent for thematerial of the film and the carrier for the ink pigment, and'after thefilm is dry applying thereto a coating of adhesive material.

11. The herein described method of making a transfer print whichcomprises coating atransfer print which comprises coating a backingsheet with a water soluble adhesive and applying to the. coated surfacea relatively slow drying soluble nitrocellulose solution. printing uponsaid surface, and applying to the printed surface a similar solublenitrocellulose solution whichis relatively slow drying. -In testimonywhereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

THOMAS 's nnnsn.

